content-update
Latest
Age of Wushu: Transcendence coming on January 14th
Is one of your new year's resolutions to become a martial arts master? Then you'll want to take advantage of the unveiled teachings of Age of Wushu: Transcendence when the patch lands on January 14th. The content update will unlock the fifth level of inner skill and make high-level manuals available, transforming players into formidable fighters. Players can use these new abilities to tackle the three additional forbidden instances coming to the game: Hell King's Dungeon, the Jinling Incident, and the Qiandeng Crisis.
Mortal Online is expanding into the deserts of Sarducaa
Is it too early to declare the MMO expansion of 2015 yet? If not, then Mortal Online might have it in the bag as it prepares to open the doors of a new continent. Coming soon(tm) to the game will be the continent of Sarducaa, a land dominated by deserts as well as a smidge of "inpenetrable jungle." Sarducaa will be broken up into six zones and is larger than the existing Myrland. It will also boast enemy creatures with "expanded AI" and better loot. The team has posted a preview of Sarducaa, including concept art and a few tracks of the new soundtrack. [Thanks to Sandboxer III: Return of Sandboxing for the tip!]
PvE, full caves hit Landmark December 15th
In two weeks, Landmark fans will celebrate the holidays early by indulging in a content feast! On Monday, December 15th, the sandbox will get a meaty update that includes something players have craved all year: PvE! Creative Director Dave Georgeson and Senior Producer Terry Michaels announced the upcoming content extravaganza during Wednesday's Landmark Live stream. But mobs are not the only addition on the way; Georgeson went so far as to call last August's huge PvP content patch small in comparison. Along with the PvE, the December 15th patch brings the rest of the cave system (meaning all islands will now be tiered down to the core), graveyards for player resurrection (a must for when mobs chew your face off), claim vendors, and more. Sound too good to miss? If you want to jump in and check these new features out, send an email to mj@massively.com for a seven-day beta key!
Age of Wulin officially releases in Europe alongside a major update
It's a big day for Age of Wulin, as the martial arts sandbox is both officially releasing in Europe and pushing out a new content patch. The update, Chapter 3: Wisdom is a Journey, marks the end of open beta for EU's counterpart to Age of Wushu. Wisdom is a Journey includes a new internal skill, a higher skill cap, team activities, titles for divorced characters, and PvP tournaments. For those who crave the game's open world PvP setting, there is now the option to become a "Jianghu treasure assassin" and kill all rivals who are out for the same glorious rewards. You can read up on the patch notes for Chapter 3 as well as get an overview of the update's features on the official site.
Phoebe update lands in EVE Online
Outer space has gotten a little more interesting as of today with EVE Online's Phoebe content update. The update contains a smorgasbord of changes and quality-of-live improvements, including better search functionality, jump fatigue to slow down long-distance travel, looser restrictions for trial accounts, the ability to place multiple market sell orders, and a streamlining pass for exploration. Phoebe was EVE's fifth content release for 2014. Attention now turns to the game's next update, Rhea, which is scheduled for December 9th.
Final Fantasy XIV patch 2.4 has a slightly bumpy release
Today you may not hear much from your friends playing Final Fantasy XIV, as the long-awaited Patch 2.4 is now live and kicking. It's a sizable content update full of quests, instances, and of course the new Rogue class and Ninja job. We've been reading up on the patch notes since late last week, although there are a few issues keeping this release from being completely smooth. Square-Enix noted that there are problems with chocobos getting stuck in their stables and said that new character creation may be restricted during more busy periods.
EVE Online tightens things up for Phoebe
A new blog post at EVE Online reveals that the team is working on streamlining a few of its existing features for the upcoming Phoebe patch. The first tweak is to exploration, as the team will be making data sites more valuable and frequent. Career agents will also stop blabbing so much in the mission boxes, with shorter text messages to emphasize the objectives. Finally, the team is bringing its semi-hidden expedition content into the light with easier-to-follow breadcrumbs and bug fixes: "We've added in some messaging to guide you towards these specific structures. We have also increased the percentage chance of the rarer types of expedition occurring as we simply found these figures to be too low. These combined changes should help somewhat in bringing this 'hidden' content to the surface for you to enjoy."
Age of Wushu: Winds of Destiny coming in October
Never feel lonely in Age of Wushu again! As of next month, a new content update for the sandbox martial arts MMO will feature a companion system that allows offline players to continue assisting their friends as NPCs. "Players going offline can allow themselves to be available as companions for those clever and committed enough to earn their loyalty," Snail posted. "While offline, these players can receive special rewards from their online brothers in arms, and in exchange are available to be summoned to their aid during a fight." Age of Wushu: Winds of Destiny is the sixth so-called "expansion" for the game. In addition to companions, there will be a new zone called Delightful Island, a special Flower Prince Contest, a Path of the Departed adventure, and a dungeon called the Silver Hook. The update will be free for all players.
EA Sports UFC taunts three new fighters
EA Sports UFC received a new content update today that expands the game's roster and offers a few tweaks to its gameplay formula. The mixed martial arts game now includes heavyweight fighter Stipe Miocic as well as welterweight fighters Matt Brown and Mike Pyle. The game's first content update arrived just over a month ago, and also added three fighters to the mix: TJ Dillashaw, Takeya Mizugaki and Tyron Woodley. As for gameplay changes in today's update, players will now be able to manually taunt their opponents mid-fight by pressing left or right on the d-pad. They will have the ability to counter their opponents' kicks during parries by catching their legs, which can lead into a single leg to half guard takedown. Also, the referee will put an end to the match if a submissive fighter "blocks too many strikes without trying to improve their position during ground and pound," which will keep fights from stalling. EA also adjusted the stamina lost from successful strikes. Head past the break for a trailer that shows EA Sports UFC's three new combatants. [Image: EA Sports]
EVE Online: Kronos goes live
EVE Online deployed the Kronos content update-slash-expansion today, and CCP is calling on all pilots to get out there and kick some major pirate booty. Er, butts. Heinies. Kronos includes new pirate ships, a mess of ship rebalancing, more exploration sites, and plenty of improved visuals. The hefty 1.2 GB patch comes with equally impressive notes to peruse while you update the game. Kronos represents the first update on CCP's accelerated six-week cycle.
SOE outlines upcoming content plan for EverQuest II
Dave Georgeson, who must be the busiest man on Earth right now, has penned a director's letter for fans of EverQuest II explaining how Sony Online Entertainment plans to change the way in which it delivers new content to the nine-year-old game. According to Georgeson, the fan response to SOE's current method of content delivery (three big updates, one expansion, and a bunch of smaller stuff in between) was a resounding "meh," so the studio is looking to shake things up. Future content for EverQuest II will now work like this: Feature refinements, short adventures, holiday events, and other small content will launch every week. Every month, a bigger addition will be made, such as an overhaul an existing dungeon, the addition of a series of quests, or the creation of a new world event. All other resources will be invested into developing full expansions for the game, which are still slotted for annual releases. Georgeson promises that SOE is locked into the new schedule, saying, "Yes, we mean it. We're going to work hard to make it happen regularly and dependably."
Play a round of Spin The Bottle's first content update on February 13
Bumpie's parties get a little unconventional, so if you're looking for the same-old small talk and wallflower party scene, you've come to the wrong place. The first content update for Spin The Bottle: Bumpie's Party is scheduled to add six new minigames to the mix on February 13, some of which will use the Wii U Gamepad's camera. Dajana Dimovska, producer at developer KnapNok, described one of the upcoming camera-oriented challenges to Eurogamer: In "Don't Laugh," two players will use the Gamepad, keeping their faces within the camera's viewfinder. The audience will then say and do presumably polite and tasteful things to inspire snickers from the players, leaving the least stoic of the duo as the loser. Once updated, Spin The Bottle's entry price will rise slightly in the eShop store. If you're already in on the party however, you won't have to pay a cover charge for the new content. While the impending price has yet to be set, KnapNok said it will "probably be a 'couple of bucks.'"
Lightning strikes in Path of Exile's update 1.0.2
Just one look at Path of Exile's newest content update preview video from Grinding Gear Games and you know that the upcoming patch sizzles -- literally. Update 1.0.2 includes the new skill Stormcall which allows players to call lightning down upon multiple or single targets. Along with a new skill, the patch is introducing five more unique items (including Wings of Entropy, a unique two-handed sundering ax that acts like duel-wielded axes) and some map mod changes. Players can also buy new items from the store, such as a lightning bat pet and -- for one week only -- special Pilgrim's hats to celebrate Thanksgiving. Content update 1.0.2 releases this Wednesday, but you can get a peek at it in the video below. More information on the patch will be posted on the official site soon.
Massively Exclusive: Jade Dynasty Regenesis preview
Jade Dynasty, that colorful free-to-play MMO from Perfect World, has a new expansion on the way, and we have the full scoop. Called Regenesis, the expansion will greatly grow Jade Dynasty's portfolio, including a new Etherkin race, a pair of additional classes, graphics updates, alliance bases, and a reworked beginner experience. You can get all of the details for Regenesis straight from Perfect World's mouth, including the lore, after the break.
Dawn of the Hunter Rangers: Touring Neverwinter's Shadowmantle module
Considering all of the exciting reveals of Neverwinter's second module, Shadowmantle, I think it's prudent to start with the unknowns. No, we don't have a specific date of release (although it will be "by the end of the year"). No, we don't know whether Druids or Warlocks or any other Dungeons and Dragons classes are in development for next year. And no, we can't tell whether there's a massive honey badger conspiracy in the city of Neverwinter. With that said, there's plenty that Lead Designer Andy Velasquez had to reveal to us for this upcoming module. For starters, it's 100% free, just in case you were wondering. Sure, Cryptic will continue to run a robust store (and doesn't seem to have any inclination to rein in the lockbox invasion), but all of the content of Shadowmantle will be available to the entire playerbase on day one. It's shaping up to be an even meatier update than Fury of the Faewild, believe it or not. The big star of Shadowmantle is the first new post-launch class: the Hunter Ranger. But this flexible fighter won't be hogging the entire spotlight; Neverwinter will also be adding a new zone, additional paragon paths, and a spiffy artifact skill system. So read on and prepare for the stampede of players rushing to be the next online Legolas-slash-Drizzt.
GTA 5 getting beach vehicles and job creation tools in November
In addition to its announcement of a delay in issuing the "stimulus package" for GTA Online, Rockstar revealed that the first content update for Grand Theft Auto 5 will arrive in November. First announced in September, the Beach Bum Pack and first part of the GTA Online Content Creator will launch next month. The Beach Bum Pack offers four beach-themed vehicles, two new weapons and over 300 items. The content pack gives players more customization options like hairstyles and tattoos as well. Additionally, Rockstar plans to open the ability to create, publish and rate custom race and deathmatch jobs for use in GTA Online. Lastly, the developer noted that GTA Online Social Club weekend events will begin next month, granting players bonuses and "event crate drops" for participating.
ArenaNet offers sneak peek at future Guild Wars 2 balance changes
Game design lead Jonathan Sharp took to the Guild Wars 2 official forums yesterday to offer players a "high level" look at ArenaNet's plans for profession balance and improvements. Although the changes won't be going into effect until the October 15th release -- and Sharp cautions that some of them might not make it in that early -- ArenaNet wants to provide fans with a chance to see where each profession is headed and to offer feedback. Several nifty quality of life improvements are also in the works, such as updated trait tooltips and more options for fast cast ground targeting. In another forum post, lead content designer Mike Zadorojny gave fans an update on GW2's highly anticipated looking-for-group tool. To ensure quality and stability, a beta version of the tool will be released with next week's Tequatl Rising content patch and will initially be available to a limited number of players. As the week goes on, greater numbers of players will have access to the tool. [Thank you to Siphaed for the tip!]
MechWarrior Online adds Protector Orion and new tutorial
Are you amped up for this month's official launch of MechWarrior Online -- or will it not really change anything for you whatsoever? Perhaps we can get you more excited about a new content update that went live today and features an improved tutorial and a new hero 'mech. The update adds the first of several announed tutorials that will help players acclimate to the to the unique challenges of piloting a 'mech. Today's tutorial is just about the basics of movement and combat, but that's what tutorials are for, right? The Protector Orion hero 'mech has come online today as well, a hard-hitting, tough-as-nails machine that's got a nice array of weapon choices. The Protector Orion comes with a 30% boost to C-bill acquisition and can be spotted in the trailer after the break. [Source: Piranha Games press release]
Celebrate Fury of the Feywild's launch with a trailer full of lore
Neverwinter's first big content expansion, Fury of the Feywild, is officially live, bringing a new campaign system, new professions to learn, the call to arms system, and dozens of gameplay tweaks and balance changes. Also included is the 20v20 PvE/PvP event Gauntlgrym, along with a new zone to explore and piles of new items. Cryptic and Perfect World have marked the launch by releasing an all-new trailer detailing the lore of Fury of the Feywild; you can see it yourself just after the break.
Get an advance look at Neverwinter's Fury of the Feywild details
Neverwinter's module 1 update, also known as Fury of the Feywild, will hit the game next Thursday, August 22nd, but you don't have to wait until then to read up on all of the specifics. Cryptic has posted many of the patch's details today, although they are of course subject to tweaking. Expect to see a lot of changes with module 1, including many class balance adjustments, a reduction in cost for some astral diamond purchases, a new passive power for non-augment companions, better inventory management, foundry tag searches, and LFG and trade chat channels. Fury of the Feywild will also include the new high-level zone of Sharandar, the ability to upgrade companions with astral diamonds, the salvage feature, and the new professions of artificing and weaponsmithing. The patch will also lay the groundwork for the Summer Festival to begin on August 29th.
